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ABSTRACT: This is an invited position paper that summarizes status of probiotics research activities in India. The purpose of these country or region based postion papers are to encourage and facilitate collaborative research within and outside geopgraphic regions. This is the first of the many papers in this series.
KEY WORDS: Functional Foods, India, Prebiotics Foods, Probiotics Research
Corresponding Author: Dr. J. B. Prajapati, Department of Dairy Microbiology, S. M. C. College of Dairy Science, Anand Agricultural University, ANAND, Gujarat 300 011, INDIA; E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
India has a long tradition of using foods for health-promoting or functional properties, influenced by Ayurvedic medicine. These functional foods can include dairy products, herbal extracts, spices, fruits, and nutritionally improved foods or foods products with added functional ingredients. FAO (2004) report states that common ailments are often treated primarily with foods in India. Nine out of ten urban Indian consumers have been reported to generally choose foods based on health and wellness benefits. With its strong tradition of healthful eating, India ranks among the top ten nations in buying functional foods. The major category in functional foods is probiotic and synbiotic foods. In the Indian sub-continent, the concept of using probiotic and synbiotic foods was probably known before 7000 years, as we see many depiction of Lord Krishna in Hindu mythology promoting dahi and butter milk as well as well-designed synbiotic recipe called "Panchamrut" in every Hindu rituals (Prajapati and Nair, 2008). However, the scientific awareness of using probiotics and prebiotics in foods increased in last 6-7 decades, mainly after the publication of book 'Prolongation of life' by Eli Metchnikoffin 1908.
Fermented foods containing plenty of beneficial lactic acid bacteria are the first choice of foods to acquire health benefits. Most of the probiotic strains available today belongs to the group of lactic acid bacteria mainly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. The science of probiotics has now advanced to a great extent and various aspects related to microbiology, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, nutrition, technology, clinical effects and in the present era concepts of probiogenomics, nutrigenomics and metagenomics are evolving to understand the cause and effects of probiotics. India has contributed to a large extent in all these areas and now India is regarded as the biggest market for probiotic...